I handle just the cabinet end of the spectum. It all depends on how much you want to spend, what is salvagable and what isn't. Anytime you have to tear into the walls it's a pain. I used to watch This Old House quite frequently and laugh. People would dump just rediculous amounts of money into something that needed a can of gas and a match more than anything.
It all depends on what you want to do. "Most" of the time ripping out the current cabinetry, addind a few outlets where needed, replacing the flooring, and some of the millwork is all that is needed for a new look. Oh and appliances. Sky's the limit in that department.
Do you want more space? Is it available by removing, or moving a wall? Do you just lack storage? A good cabinet maker can come up with something to help. Most of the time the layout isn't drastically changed, just modified to something better. How many people do you know that have built a new home and had a long list of things that they wish they would have done differently? Take note of what those people say. While not all of the suggestions they have will fit or work, you may find something that is worth it.
Budget is usually the strongest determining factor on what can be done.
Stay away from box cabinets from Menards, Lowes, Home Depot etc. You can have custom cabinets built for not much more money. I know with my stuff I'm sometime less expensive than the high end box cabinets.
I use strictly plywood for the construction of the cabinet boxs themselves. Melamine is almost a third of the cost, but any water from a leaky sink and it is done.
Don't buy cabinets with either metal drawer sides, or with what is called epoxy slides. I use only self closing undermount slides made by Blum. They are the best hands down. But expensive. $27 a set!
I make only dovetail drawer boxs, using 5/8 hardwood, for the sides with a 1/4" bottom. Either birch, or Cherry ($$$$). I did a handfull of drawers out of Walnut, with a birch inlay and those were fricken sweet looking. I'm probably on the high end of the pricing for drawers, but I've typically got $40 and an hour of labour into each drawer. I charge $110 per drawer.
Doors. Blum is still the best in this department for hinges. Grass hinges aren't bad. Salice, (sah-leech-ee), are garbage. For a shaker style door I charge $40, raised panel $55.
What you choose for a specie impacts the price. I upcharge for the material. Cherry is around $4.90 bd/ft, oak $2.35. So that can add up in a hurry when ordering 500-1000 bd/ft. I use oak as a base price, but I don't discount for cheaper material, which there is very few.
Painted cabinets. I get a soft maple that is just plain ugly, but it works well for painted stuff. I get that for around $1.35 a foot. Here's a weird raping in the marketplace around here. I charge more for paint grade cabinets. Plus the painting costs more than your average stain 'n' spray. Go figure, but that's the going rate.
Not exactly on topic, but furniture I can damn near charge whatever I want. I think I charged $4500 for this desk, took me 3 days to build, and cost me about $800 to build.
